Bulgaria may convert into state debt the huge shortfall in the country's energy
sector, the country’s deputy prime minister said on Wednesday.
The gap in
the energy sector is currently estimated at some 3.0 billion levs ($2.0
billion/1.5 billion euro) and might increase by another 900 million levs over
the next 12 months, Ekaterina Zaharieva said, as quoted in a press release of
the regional development ministry.
As part of the ongoing emergency
measures taken to stabilize the country's energy sector, which has been
described as being in near-critical condition, and to increase transparency, the
government has set up an energy board, a permanent advisory body to the council
of ministersrepresenting all stakeholders.
Earlier on Wednesday
Bulgaria’s government appointed a new head and two members of the country's
power regulator. Last week the government forced their predecessors to step down
as it was dissatisfied with how the watchdog was tackling the problems in the
country's energy sector.